NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011

2011 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金

• 批准号: 1103716
• 负责人: Melissa Pespeni
• 金额: $ 18.9万
• 依托单位: Pespeni, Melissa H
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-10-01 至 2014-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1103716&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Melissa Pespeni is "Revealing the genetic underpinnings of morphological diversity in horned dung beetles." The host institution for this research is Indiana University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Armin Moczek.Horned dung beetles in the genus Onthophagus are the most speciose genus in the world, with some 2000 species described. These beetles originated in Africa and diversified with the diversification of mammals by feeding on the dung of specific mammal species. Most interestingly, species differ with radical variations in horn morphology, changing the size, shape and number of horns developing from their heads and thorax. Several genes that are known to be important in the development of other insects that lack these novel horn structures have been identified as critical for the development of diverse horn morphologies in dung beetles. Recently developed genomic and gene expression information make Onthophagus beetles a useful model for developmental biology in general and a valuable biological system for this study of the genetic underpinnings of morphological diversity and gene expression at various stages of development and in morphologically distinct yet closely related species. The scientific impacts include determining the genetic basis of evolutionary change that enables or constrains adaptive evolution and evolutionary responses on a changing planet.Training objectives include learning developmental genetic techniques and applying genome-wide studies in a comparative, evolutionary, and developmental framework. Broader impacts of this fellowship include assisting conservation efforts and inspiring interest in biology when shared in K-12 classrooms, with undergraduates, at conferences, and in popular and scientific publications.

该行动为2011财年的生物学生物学奖学金提供了一项NSF博士后研究奖学金，扩大了参与。该奖学金支持该研究员的主机实验室的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。 梅利莎·佩皮尼（Melissa Pespeni）的研究和培训计划的标题“揭示了角甲虫中形态多样性的遗传基础”。这项研究的主机机构是印第安纳大学，赞助科学家是Armin Moczek博士。 这些甲虫起源于非洲，并通过以特定哺乳动物的粪便来多样化哺乳动物。 最有趣的是，物种随着角形态的根本变化而有所不同，改变了从头部和胸腔形成的角的大小，形状和数量。 已知在缺乏这些新型角结构的其他昆虫发展中很重要的几个基因已被确定为对粪甲虫中各种角形态的发展至关重要。最近开发的基因组和基因表达信息使Onthophagus甲虫成为一般发育生物学的有用模型，并且是对形态多样性和基因表达的遗传基础的有价值的生物学系统，在形态学上的各个阶段和形态上与众不同但密切相关的物种中。科学的影响包括确定进化变化的遗传基础，这些变化可以在不断变化的行星上启用或约束适应性进化和进化反应。培训目标包括学习发展遗传技术和在比较，进化论和发展框架中应用全基因组研究。 该团契的更广泛的影响包括协助保护工作和在K-12教室，本科生，会议以及流行和科学出版物中共享时对生物学的兴趣。